Timing device for gathering and binding machines



Feb. 24, 1931. R. E. ACKLEY 1,794,050

'I'IIIND DEVICE FOR GATHERING AND BINDING MACHINES Filed May 10, 1929 4 Sheets-Sb-aet l I jwzzazv i @miijfcg TIIING m-zvxcr: FOR GATHERING AND BINDING MACHINES R. E. ACKLEY Feb. 24, 1931.

Filed llay 10, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 R. E. ACKLEY Feb. 24, 1931.

mum DEVICE FOR GATHERING AND BINDING MACHINES Filed May 10, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 R. E. ACKLEY 1,794,050

TIMING DEVICE FDR GATHERING AND BINDING MACHINES 'Feb. 24, 1931.

Filed May 10, 1929 4 Sheets-She 4 Patented Feb. 24, 1931 hairs STATES PATENT oFFici:

sermons n. acxmiv, or onroee'o, ILLINOIS, AssIeNoR To a. noNnnLLnY a r i no, or onrceeo, rumors, A CORPORATION or rrmmors SONS 'rrlvrruennvron son GAT E ING Ann BINDING MACHINES Application filed May 10,1929. Serial No. 3 2,060.

My invention relates to mechanism for use in connection with two independent articleconveyors with; which the articles are engaged in succession and the first one of which conveyors may be traveling at a speed not in excessof the speed 01'. the s cond conveyor, to engage the articlesand be operative to transfer them from thefirst conveyor to the second conveyor and cause the articles to be put in 10 step with mechanisms having a timed relation to the lllfli'dil'lfillbOf the second conveyor.

Nhile my invention is applicable to arrangements in generallof the character above stated, I have-devised it for use more partic ularly in connection with the manufacture of books and involvingthe use of so-called signature-gathering machines and co-operating' book-binding machines, the signaturegathering machines operating to assemble the various signatures into the proper positions to constitute the books and the b0okbinding machines, to which the grouped signatures are delivered, operating to bind the books. i

The signature-gathering machines. are j commonly provided with mechanisms whereby should the devices which operate to deliver the signatures to the signature-assembling points fail to deliver a signature, or should 0 asignature, imperfect because ofan excess, or deficiency, of sheets, be delivered, the si nature-gathering machine automatically stops. Furthermore, the binding-machines involve, elements thereof, mechanisms for applying glue to the edges of the grouped signatures; for cementing thereto the covers applied by the binding-machines. conditions, in particular, have given rise to considerable difficulty in the book-binding operation where the conveyor mechanisms of the signature-gathering machines and the binding-machines start and stop simultaneously, owing to the fact that delay in resuming the operations of the machines is oftentimes so prolonged that the glue applied to the grouped signatures, and before the bovers have been applied thereto and properly adhered, becomes set, requiring the removal of those of the grouped signatures on which the glue has hardened as stated and the com- Such veyor, as for example the conveyor of a bool'- binding machine, in timed relation to the f mechanism, or mechanisms, operated in timed pletion of the binding of the books by manual operations. y

It will be apparent from the foregoing that itis desirable provision bemade for permitting the binding-machine to continue in operation and bind such of thegrouped signatures as have been produced by the signature-gathering machine, after the latter has stopped, as for example because of the failure of thefdelivery of a signature, or the delivery of an imperfect one, and thusrender unnecessary operation on the books by hand. as above stated, and to provide for the proper delivery to the book-binding machine, name ly, in step with the operations of the various mechanisms of the book-binding machine, of the grouped signatures delivered by the signature-gathering machine upon re-starting the latter.

. Previous attempts have been made to overcome this difficulty, by providing a so- *allcd one-point clutch, or clutch which will engage in only one position, between the two machines so that when the gathering machine stops this clutch automatically disengages andallows the binder to continue in motion, and when the gathering machine is to he started this clutch is l e-engaged and the binder picks up the gathering machine drive in proper timed relation. Owing to the need of engaging the clutch at a definite point, however, it cannot be engagedgradually, and there is a severe objectionable shock to the mechanisms wl'ienever it operated.

The primary object of my invention is to provide mechanism whereby the articles may be delivered, to a second, succeeding, conrelation to such second conveyor, regardless of interruptionsin the operation of the conveyor. first engaging the articles, asfor example that of a signaturegathering machine.

Another object is to provide for the properly timed operations of the gathering ma chine and the binder by timing the books instead of timing the machines.

Another ob 'ect is to provide a mechanism, intermediate two a ticle-carrying conveyors,

veyor can cary away. 7 veyor may 'operateeontinuously or mternntthe second of which must operate in timed relation to mechanisms placed along its path, such that'any article deivered by the first conveyor will be placed inpropertimed relation to the second conveyor, provided only that the first conveyordoes not deliver-more articles in a given'time thanfthe second con- Thus the first conthe onlyrestriction being that it must not deliver more articles in a given time than the second conveyor'can take. r

Another object is to provide novel, simple and positively operating mechanism for the purpos'estated; and other objects will be manifest from the following descriptionI Referring to the accompanying drawings i. r a 1 Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of the adjacent ends of a signature-gathering chine and a book-binding machine, together with transfer mechanism constructed in accordance with my invention, operating to transfer the grouped signatures from the gathering machine to the book-binding machine. I

Figures 2, 3 and 1 are enlarged sections taken at the lines 2, 3 and 1-, respectively, on

Fig. 1 and viewed in the direction of the respective arrows.

Figure 5 is a plan view of a portion of the conveyor chain shown in Fig. 3.

Figure 6 is an enlarged, broken, plan view of a portion of a conveyor operated by the signature-gathering machineand of one end portion of the transfer mechanism.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a portion of the conveyor of Figs. 2, 3 and 1, and comprising one of the similar pusher-arms shown by full and dotted lines in two positions occupied by it in operation.

V Figure 8 is a similar view of a portion of the, transfer mechanism showing one of the similar armsby which the grouped signatures are, advanced to the book-binding machine.

of one end of the book-binding machine and the adjacent portion of the transfer mechanism.

Figure 10 is a perspective view of one end of the conveyor of the book-binding machine and the mechanism by which it is operated.

Figure 11 is a view in side elevation of a portion of the transfer mechanism; and

Figure 12, a broken perspective view of the transfer mechanism of Fig. 11.

In the particular arrangement illustrated, my invention is associated with a signature- Figure 9 is an enlarged plan sectional view gathering machine and a book-binding machine to transfer the grouped signaturesfrom the signature-gathering mechanism to the book-binding mechanism in step with the operation of'the various mechanisms of the latter, the gathering machine, being repreresented generally at 14 and the bookbinding machine at 15.

The signature-gathering machine may be of the type hereinbefore referred to, to produce the grouped signatures represented at 16 and compr smg the contents of the books to be bound, and as such machines are wellknown detailed illustration and description thereof appear to be unnecessary.

The delivery end only of the signaturegathering machine is shown, the conveyor by 'whichthfe' signatures, during the operation of grouping them for subsequent binding and after grouping, are conveyed along the trough represented at 17 of the gathering machine, being shown at 18, this conveyor, provided with pusher-arms19, and tilted at an angle to the vertical, as represented in Fig. 2, engaging sprockets, one only of which is shown at 20, at opposite ends-of the gatherin machine- The conveyor 18 is driven by the main shaft 21 (Fig. '2) of the gathering machine through v a bevel gear 22 on shaft 21, engaging a bevel gear 23 on one end of a shaft 2 1, and a bevel gear 25 on-the opposite endof shaft 24:, engaging a bevel gear 26 on shaft 27 of the sprocket 20. I y

Arranged in line with the trough 17, and in accordance with common practice, is a trough-section 29 for receiving the groups of signatures delivered by the conveyor 18, this trough-section being so shaped that as the groups of signatures are conveyed through it, by mechanism hereinafter described, they are gradually shifted from a position in which they extend at the angle to the verticle as shown in Fig. 2, to a position'in which they extend vertically, with the edge-portions thereof at which the signatures of each book are to be bound together, lowermost'as represented, the lateral walls of that portion of the trough section 29 which is vertical be- I ing formed of vertically spaced horizontal bars 29 which exert slight pressure against the opposite sides of the groups of signatures.

The conveyor for-moving the groupsof signatures in the trough-section 29 up to the point where the transfer mechanism hereinafter described engages them, is represented at 30 and is in the form of an. endless-chain engaging sprockets at its opposite ends, one only of which is shown at 31, this sprocket being driven by'a vertical shaft 32 thereof in the frame of the machine and provided with a worm-gear 33 meshing with a worm 34 on the shaft 21 of the gathering machine.

lhe chain of the conveyor 30 is provided at intervals with pusher-arms35, which are mewao pivoted att 36 to (P111537 sothat the arms 35 can; swing up an down freely. The pins 37,

in turn-,are journ-aled at 38, on vertical axes,

in blocks 3 9.secured to chain 30, so as to perunit of a turning movement of the pins 37 in a planeat right angles to that of the arms 35 about the pivots 36. -Tothelower ends ofthe pins-37 are fastened blocks 40 which carry, at

i a 4'1, lugs which abut against projecting surfaces 42 of chain 30. This arrangement prevents pins 3'? tromswinging in one direction but allows them to befree to swing in the other direction, so that the arms can be caused to drive articles in the direction of motion of conveyor 80, but if an article moving at a greater rate of speed than conveyor 30 approaches from behind an arm 35 the latter willswing out of the way and permit it to pass; The arms 3 5 travel in slots 29 in the trough 29, and swing down as they are adthegroups of signatures withwhichthey are engaged. at a i As later described, under some conditions of operation of the machine, the pins 35 will be swung aroundinto a position more or less parallel: to conveyor 30, as indicated of the pin 35 nearest the bottom f Fi 5 yv this happens it is necessaryto restore them to tore engaging a, signature-group 16.

a position at right angles to conveyor 80, be i For this purpose I provi'd'e'apin 43 mounted on a stationary bracket44 attached to the frame of the machine. The position of pin 43 is such that whenever arm 35 has been swung about, as described, the pin 43 is engaged by block 40 attached to the lower end of pin 37 carrying the arm 35, and the block 40 is thus cammed back into a position parallel to con veyor 30 which causes the arm 35 to assume a position at right angles to conveyor 30 1s shown at the top of Fig. 5. i

While the conveyor 30 is provided as an elementsepa-rate from theconveyor 18 this is not necessaryin' the practicing (it my invention, and in the case of its omission the conveyor 18 would be provided preferably with pivotedpusher-arins as in the case of conveyor 30 and the conveyor 18 extended to right-hand terminalfFig. 1) of the conveyor 30. y a i Referringnow to the binding machine 15 'in which the groups 16 of signatures are bound to form the books, the signature-groups to this end being operated on by a plurality of mechanisms (not shown), in succession, and

which may be the mechanisms as shown and operates the several mechanisms referred to, of the book-binding machine and functioning to bind the book; and also a conveyor 46 and pairs of endless presser-belts 47 to which the conveyor 46 delivers the groups of signatures I 1nt1medrelat10n to the operat on of the several; mechanisms by which the books are bound, the belts47also operating in timedrelation to such mechanisms.

The conveyor 46 is shown asformed of an endless chain 48mountedon sprockets 49 and 5,0 journalled on the machine torotate on horizontal axes and having pusher elements 51,the drrvejot chain 48 being fromthe main shaft 145 of the binding machine through a shaft 52 genea 1*ecl at 53 and 54 to shaft 45 and at 55 and 56 to theshaft 57 of sprocket 50:

As regards the matter-of the relative speeds of travel of the conveyor fOIrthG gathering machine and the book-binding conveyor, the

relativelinear speed of these conveyors is not important; but in the sense of the number of books handled the binder must, if anything, be constructed to handle them faster as otherwise the binder would be choked by delivering of books to it tasterthan it is ca able of handling. By way of example, ane the machine as shown, the gather ng-machine conveyor 18 would travel in proportion to the travel of the book-binder conveyor 46 in a ratio of about 21% to 18. i v i In the arrangement shown the transfer mechanism, hereinbefore referred to, is provided to receive the groups of signatures from the conveyor 30 and so deliver them that they will become engaged by the pusher-elements 51 of conveyor 46 and then by the presser belts 47 and thus advanced into, and through, the binding-machine 15 in properly timed relation to thebseveral mechanisms thereof which operate, successively to produce the finishedbookQ a t Thertransfer mechanism comprises pair of sprockets 58 and 59 1' ournaled on brackets on the-machine to rotate on horizontal axes, the journalsof these sprockets being located above the plane of the upper edges ofthe groups of signatures as the latter travel in i said trough-sections,

Engaging the sprockets 58 and 59 is an endless sprocket-chain 60 this chain beingdriven the posit on corresponding to that of the from the shaft 45 by a sprocket-cha n 61in driving engagement with sprockets provided,

blocksti'l securedto the chain 60 at equal distancestherealongflhese arms being shown as in the forrnot cranks at thehori z ontal crankis as follows: The transfer conveyor 60 trav els'at a greater linear speed than the conveyor 30, and over aportion of their length the two conveyors are overlapped as shown in Fig. 1.1 Theamount of the overlap is; such th-atin traversing-this distance, the transfer conveyor 60gains-an amount over'the conveyor approximately equal to the'distance between two pins -on conveyor30. an example, the conveyor 30 may move 18", the

distance between two pins 35', while transfer iconveyor moves 21", the distance. between two cranks '68. Inthis case there will be a precession of 3 of the conveyor 60 over the conveyor 30 every time the latter moves 18". If the overlap is nine feet, the precession in that distance will amount to 18".

It will be obvious that a similar result may be accomplished at other relative speeds;

No matter what the position of an arm 35 on conveyor 30 may be as it approaches the entrance to transfer conveyor 60, that crank 68on conveyor 60 which is at the moment behind the arm 35, will by reason of this precession, overtake and pass arm 35 at some time during traverse of theoverlapped portions of the two conveyors. Then, if arm 35 is delivering a signature group through trough 29, andif crank 68 is caused to engage the signature group, as hereafter explained, at the moment it passes arm 35, the signaturegroup will thence be picked up and carried forward byconveyor 60. Thus each succeeding signature-group is taken away from an arm 35 on conveyor 30 by a crank 68 on conveyor 60, and delivered by the latter to a operated at the same linear speed as the transfer-conveyor,or faster or slower, as may through the binder.

" pusher bar 51 on conveyor 48 for delivery to the traveling belts 47 in timed relation to the-various mechanism of the book-binding machine. By thismeans' the gathering ma chine and its delivery conveyor 30 may be started, stopped, and otherwise operated with entire independence from the binder, with the exception that it must not deliver more books in a given time than can'bepassed Conveyor 46 and presser belts 47 may be be desired (but always in 1:1 cyclical relation) but in practice I prefer to run conveyor "46 somewhatfslower than transfer-conveyor 60. In that event, I prefer to place-sprocket 49 a calculated distance behind sprocket 58,

:by which means advantage is taken of the decreasing horizontal component and an in creasing vertical component, so that asign'ature-group moved by crank ,68's'ufiers a progressive slowing down. By properly choosing the relative positions of sprockets 49 and 58 the signature-group may be delivered to bar 51 on conveyor 48 while'traveling at substantially the same speed as the latter. It is evident. that when the signaturegroups are in certaln positions at the moment they approach the transfer that crank 68 will engage thesuccessive groups at once or within pass. The engagement ofthe cranks 68 with the signature-groups 16 maybe effected in "any desirable way, asfor example, by'the means shown in the drawings and by which the arm 68 is prevented from dragging over the top margins of the signature-group and therefore there is no tendency-todisarran'ge the signatures. 1

By way of summarizing the relative speeds of movement of the various conveyors, it may be stated that according to the particular arrangement shown and described, the signature groups undergo the following changes of'speed in passing from the gathering machine to the binding machine: The gathering machine conveyor 18 travels at about 21 per cycle. The take-awayconvevor 3O travels at 18", per cycle. The transfer conveyor 60 at 21 per cycle and the feed conveyor 46 and presser belts 47 at 18" per cycle. For

reasons peculiar to the gathering machine 14,

chinej15, therefore the pins 19 on conveyor 18 are placed about 21 1 apart. In passing from the conveyor 18 to the conveyor 30 the speed of the signature group is reduced to 18"per cycle the, sameas the binding machine; the difference in speed between the conveyor 30 and the conveyor 60 being essential to the operation ofmy invention.

The means referred to comprise upwardly extending pins or blocks attached to conveyor 30, and which may be merely the extended ends of pins 37 (see Fig. 11); On the conveyor 60. adjacent each arm 66. is fastened a block 76 (Fig. 12') in which is io-urnalled a pin 77 in the outer end 78 of which is mounted a latch, or trip, rod 79. A torsion spring 80 acting between block 76 and the pin-end 78, tends to force the rod 79 in the 1 direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 12. The upper end of the rod 79 is provided with a saddle 81, adapted to receive and support the crank 6870f the adjacent arm 66. The crank 68 is prevented from coming into engagement, either with the lower portion oi bar-69 or with the upper margin ot a signatore-group beneath it until the trip 79 is operated, The lower end of trip 7 9 is extended H as shown at 82 and is so disposed that it engages an athacent pin 75 on the conveyor 30, Whenever the relative movement of can veyors 60 and is such that the trip rod 79 passes pin 75. When this occurs, the trip 0579 is displaced into the position indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 11, thus allowing the crank 68 to fall upon bar 69. always takes place when crank 58 i'alls between two adjacent signature-groups 16. By

{this means the necessity of dragging the (Fig. 1) is provided for engagement by the outer ends of the cranks 68, this bar being of such shape and so positioned, as shown, that the conveyor arms66 are swung to a position in-which the trip-rods79, under the action of the r springs 80, reengageat their saddles 81 with the cranks 68.

an i

It will be noted that, while I have illus trated and described several conveyors as forming parts of a train of mechanism, the timing of the article is completely effected by the interaction of thetwo conveyors 30 'and'60. Functionally, therefore, conveyor 30 might be the main conveyor of a gatherinc; machine, and the main conveyor of a binding machine. I, therefore, do not wish tobe confined to the precise arrangement described, but claim as my invention any mechanism including a pair of conveyors functionally related in the manner of conveyors 30 and 60.

Furthermore, the machine shown may be variously modified and altered in other ways without departing from the spirit of my in- Y Y vention, and in this connection it may be is stated that while it is'desirable that mechanism, such. for example as that shownand described, be employed for preventing the dragging of the cranks 68 over the top gins oi the signature groups, provision of mechanism for this purpose is not essential to my invention.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is: a

1, In combination, a pair of adjacent independently drivenconveyors, one of whiclrhas a greater linear speed than the other, and article engaging means carried by each conveyor and operating to transfer the article from the slower to the faster conveyor when ever the article-engaging means carried by the faster moving conveyor passes the articleengaging means carried by the slower moving conveyor.

2. In an article-timing device, a continuously moving conveyor having timed rela- This action tion to mechanisms with which it cooperates,

an adjacent independently driven conveyor moving at a lesser linear speed than said first-named conveyor, a support along which articles may be moved, and article-engaging means carried by each of said conveyors, said conveyors being so disposed that the articleengagingmeans on said first-named conveyor engage an article deliveredby the article engaging means carried on said secondnamed conveyor, whenever the article-engagingmeans on sald first-named conveyor pass the artlcle-engaging means on said secend-named conveyor.

3.1 In combination, conveyor mechanisms torsuccessively engaging andconveying articles and operating without definite timed relation to each other, and means intermediate said conveyors, and operative without 'stopping the motion of the articles, for'receiving the articles irrespective of the timing of either conveyor, and delivering the same to the second one of said conveyors 1n timed relation to the latter;

4. In combination, conveyor mechanisms operative to successively engage and convey 1 third conveyor receives articles delivered by the first conveyor irrespective of the timing of said articles and delivers them in properly timed relation to the movement of the second conveyor.

5. In combination, conveyor mechanisms operative to successively engage and convey articles and which operate Without timedrclation to each other, and means operative to receive the articles delivered by the conveyor first to operate thereon and deliver them to the other of said conveyor mechanisms in properly timedrelation to the movement of the latter. l 6.In combination, a signature-gathering machine comprising conveyor means and means for delivering the signatures to said conveyor means, a book-binding machine operative independently ofsaid signature-gathlivers the articles and operative to receive the articles from the one ofsaid conveyor mechan sms-first to. operate thereon and deliver them to the other'of said conveyor -mechanisnis in properly timed relation to the move:

'ment, or the latter. e .7

8. lncombination, conveyors operating to successively engage and convey art1cles,said

' conveyors operating out of timed relation to each other and the one of said conveyors first to operate on .the articles operating aha lesser peed than the; other of said conveyors and athird conveyoroperatingat a greater speed vthan the one of said first-named conveyors to; which the other of said con- 'veyors delivers the articles and operative to receive the articlestromthe oneof said conveyors first tooperate thereon and deliver them to theother of said conveyor mechanisms in properly timed relation to the, movement of the latter. 9-. In combination, a pair of adjacent driven conveyors one of which has a greater linear speed than the other, and article-engaging means carried by each conveyor, said article engaging means being so disposed that they article fi-s transferred trom the engaging means or" said slower operating conveyor to the engaging means of the faster operating conveyor Without regard to the relative timing of the articleengaging means of the several conveyors.

10, In combination, apairlof adjacent drivenconveyors one of which has a greater linear speed than the other, and article-engaging means carried by each conveyor, said article-engaging means being so disposed that the article is transferred from the en'- gagmg means of-sa1d-slower operating conveyor to the engaging-means of the faster operatlng conveyor by the article-engaging meanscarried by the faster moving conveyor passing the article-engaging means carried by'the slower movingconveyor. 7

11. In combination, a pair of driven conveyors. one of which has a greater linear speed than the other, andarticle-engaging means on'each conveyor, both of said means being so disposed that the articles presented thereto xtend into the path of movement of said :movesa'distan ce at least approximately equal to the dist'ancebetween adjacent ones of the article-engaging means on the slower moving one of said conveyors. j

12. An article-timing device comprising of said conveyors being two conveyors one of which travels faster than the other thereofand the paths of which have overlapping relationship to'eachother, and 7 means comprising article-engaging meanson each of said conveyors whereby the article is transferred fIOlllfthG slower moving conveyor to the faster moving conveyor whenever the article-engaging means carried by the "faster-movingconveyorpass the article-engaging means carried by the'slower art cle-engaging" means being adapted to convey an article article along said co1nmon=path,'the length of said common path and the relative speeds I such that daring the CO1 iinuance of said common path the faster moving conveyor gains over the slower moving conveyor an amount approximately not less than the greatest possible linear separation of the article-engaging means carried 7 moving conveyor. a

l3; In combination a Jair of ad'acent driven conveyors one ofwhich has a greater linear speed than the other, and art1cleengaging means carried by each conveyor, said article-engaging means being so disposed that the article is transferred from the engaging means of said slower operating conveyor to adapted to yield in the direction of movement of the articles, for the purpose set forth. I. n. comoina ion ball of ,a 1 I l t a d acent driven conveyors one of which hasagreater linear speed than the other and article-enl a gaging means carried by eachconveyor, said article engaging means being so disposed that the article is transferred from the engaging means of said slower operating conveyor to the engaging means-of the faster operating conveyor when the article-engaging means carried by the faster moving conveyor passes 'the article-engaging means carried by the slower moving conveyor, the article-engaging means of the slower moving conveyor being yivoted to said conveyor toadapt them to yield in the directionot movement of the articles, for the purpose set forth.

. 15. In combination, a pair of adjacent driven conveyors one of which has a greater linear speed than the other, and article-en gaging means carried'by each conveyor, said article-engaging ,means being so disposed that the article is transferred froni the engaging means of said slower operating conveyor to the engaging means of the faster operating conveyor when the article. engagi means controlled. by the article-engaging mg means carried by the faster moving conmeans operating to prevent the article-ening means carried b the faster moving conveyor passes the article-engaging means carried bythe slower moving conveyor, and 1 means operating to prevent the article-en gaging means on the faster moving one of said conveyors from engaging the upper edges ofthe articles. 16. In combination, a pair oi" adjacent driven conveyors one of which has a greater 10 linear speed than the other, and article-engaging means carried by each conveyor, said article-engaging means being so disposed that the article is transferred from theengaging means of said slower operating con- 'veyorto the engaging means of the faster operating conveyorwhen'the article-engaging means carried by the faster moving conveyor passes the article-engaging means car- 3 ried by the slower moving conveyor, and

means on the slower one ofsaid conveyors for preventing the article-engaging means on'the faster moving oneoii' said conveyors from engaging the upper edges of the 5 articles. a 17; In combination, a pair of adjacent driven conveyors one of which has a greater linear speed than the other, and article-engaging. means carriedby each conveyor, said 30 article-engaging means being so disposed i that the articleistransferred from the engaging means of said slower operating con veyor to the engaging means of the faster operating conveyor when the article-engagveyor passes the article-engaging means car ried by the slower moving conveyor, the article-engaging means on the faster moving conveyor being pivoted to the latter, and

gaging means on the faster movingconveyor from swinging into engagement with the upper edges of the articles.

18. In combination, a pair of adjacent driven conveyors one of which has a greater linear speed than the other, and article-engaging means carried by each conveyor, said article-engaging means being so disposed that the article is transferred from the engaging means of said slower operating conveyor to the engaging means of the faster operating conveyor when the article-engaging means carried by the faster moving conveyor passes the article-engaging means carried by the slower moving conveyor, the article-engaging means on the faster moving conveyor being pivoted to thelatter; and means controlled by the article-engaging means on the slower moving conveyor for preventing the 6 article-engaging means on the other of said conveyors from swinging into engagement with the upper edges of the articles.

RAYMOND E. ACKLEY. 

